Bee Shay here....grab your coffee, tea or wine and come on along for a minute or two. Read a bit, view the eye candy, join in, start a conversation or give your opinion. Your voice is always welcome here. Sit back relax and oh the places we can go. Feel free to enjoy some music while you're here..just click on the button in the upper left of the player to start!
If you like the selection and want to do something else, just minimize the window and the player will keep playing while you work away!!
ENJOY!!!!

on a personal note.....

Monday, February 04, 2008

2007 came and went and now it's one of the most exciting times of the year for me. ARTFEST is looming just around the corner and I'm looking forward to this year in a way I've never looked before. This year I won't be attending classes, I will be teaching. I can't wait...this is so exhilerating....the thought of sharing my thoughts and techniques, idea exchanges, old friends revisited, new friends made....it's all very intoxicating.

Right now I'm making daily trips to the post to collect the ARTFEST ATCs that are rolling in....every day I have received at least 1 or 2 packages but this next week will be the flood.....there are over 120 people signed up, the deadline to mail them is FEB 15 (HAPPY VALENTINES DAY) and there are about 100 left to receive....I'm going to be a very busy lady!!!

There is much in store over the next several months and I'm hoping to be more diligent about the blog. I will have some pics to post soon of my new studio (which is sadly in PA while I, alas am in Nantucket)...work keeps us up here and right now, travel is to dicey with all the winter weather and such so here we work.

LK Ludwig's first book (Mixed Media Nature Journals) came out last month...HAVE YOU SEEN IT?? If not, check it out, it's wonderfully chock full of her artwork, wisdom and step-by-step techniques.

Sunday, July 29, 2007

It's almost here....AUGUST 1.....and the Artfest 2008 classes will be posted. For the past 7 or so years I have waited with baited breath for this website to go up....anticipating the culling over of all the descriptions and photos...making my choices again and again and again...the excitement building all month until the registration forms can be sent (in September) and then the breathe holding until your confirmation packet arrives.

This year is very different for me.....this year, for me the breathe holding starts August 1....this time my name is on the list and there is no choosing for me....my path is set and now I just have to wait until the end of March for the excitement to actually begin.

It's a big week for me...for those of you just tuning in you should know that Friday AUG 3 will be my last day working in the family business and I'm off on the business of teaching art and making art FULL TIME. It's been too many years since it's been a totally creative way of life for me and I can't tell you how much it means to me to be able to emerse myself this way.

I'm so happy to be returning to teaching and for the first time since 1994 I will be teaching as a regular thing (no longer fitting it in around my full time job) and looking forward to starting up my studio hours in PA on a regular basis with a schedule of workshops that I'll be teaching as well as visiting instructors so stayed tuned and check in once in awhile to see who is coming.

The studio is located 15 miles west of Philadelphia on 1 acre of land. The farm house and barn are both over 180 years old but over the last 8 years my genius of a husband who is a most talented artist/builder has painstakingly worked on the renovations to bring back the life to this property and make it an inspiring place to be and work. I will post photos as we progress in finishing off the spaces and be sure to let you know when workshops will be starting.

Saturday, July 14, 2007

okay, well here it is almost a month later and off to a rocky start in the "new life"....guess in my enthusiasm I jumped the gun a bit thinking I would have the time to "do it all". probably not that uncommon among creative types, in fact, probably sounds pretty familar, right?

So it's looking like the beginning of August is the official start (and finish), without and end there can be no beginning. Lots of changes coming up and a whole new way of life to get used to.

I have promised myself to journal every day and complete at least one small piece of work every day. Research and organizing my new studio are also on the list. So now that i'm "retired" what will i do with myself? What WON'T I do would be a more appropriate question.

Monday, June 18, 2007

june 18th, 2007 marks the beginning of the official new path of my journey. today marks the moment when the life of the last 30+ years makes a shift to a new and completely artful life. today i am 51 years, 112 days old and it's time for me to change my daily life patterns from taking care of children and family and working at "real jobs" full time and my artful life parttime. today i begin the full time artful life. forgive me if i ramble....this day has been long awaited and anticipated and the excitement is a tad overwhelming. i hope you'll join me on this creative journey to explore new avenues and hopefully find ways to make creative changes in your own life along the way. so take my hand and come on along....the weather is glorious and there's lots to do and learn in this great big world.....let's play.

Workshops

ARTFEST 2009 April 1-5

I will be teaching on Friday and Saturday at ARTFEST 2009. Artfest is held annually at the beautiful Ft. Worden State Park on Bainbridge Island in Washington state. About 1.5 hours out of Seattle on the Olympic Pennisula, Artfest is a retreat/workshop experience that should definitely be experienced. Check it out.... www.teeshamoore.com

1800 House Nantucket MA Summer 2009

I will be teaching four workshops here....steeped in history the Nantucket Historical Society (NHA) has turned one of their beautiful historic houses (built in 1800...hence the name) into a warm and inviting environment for people to come and learn early american folk art skills. Their Creating History Program is in it's early years and just an amazing experience worth the trip. Check out their website www.nha.org (then click on the link to 1800 House) for a complete schedule. Also....look at my photos under 1800 House to see what's we've been up to there this summer (2008).

Want to Listen to some MUSIC???

These are some (all to be posted eventually) of my entries into Teesha Moore's Self Portrait Project which I was so graciously invited to join. It's a two year long project with 25 artists, each month we receive a new journal to work in, each time, doing a self portrait. Some of the journals come with instructions and some came with a note to "just express yourself"....it's been an eye opening experience and it's almost through....I'm truly going to miss these books every month.